Utilizing Great Music in Worship—part 1

Utilizing Great Music in Worship—part 1

       There is no doubt about the fact that one can make it to heaven without ever singing any of the sacred classics. As a matter of fact it is not imperative that a Christian sing any great music.  Worship is about God.  It is not about great art music.  However, although it is possible to sing unto the Lord with only trite, shallow, inferior, mundane musical offerings, well composed melodies and harmonies often are a much more effective concomitant to the marvelous message of the good news of the gospel than is poorly written music .

 I am not intimating that only the sacred classics are composed and arranged well, because there many praise choruses, anthems, hymns and gospel songs that are well composed.  I am simply saying that the sacred classics are classics because they are great music—the music part of the music and the way that the words are set to the music are both masterfully accomplished.

Thought for the Day

It seems strange to me that so many Christians, by their actions, seem to believe philosophically that the more that a congregation dumbs down the music that it presents to God the more humility it is exhibiting.

Musical Meaning in Musical Sounds-part 1

Musical Meaning in Musical Sounds-part 1

            1 Corinthians 14:7 teaches, “And even things without life giving sound , whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?” 

            Although over the years I have discussed musical meaning at length in this blog, I would like to revisit it very briefly.  One of the objectives of developing a Christocentric music philosophy is to incorporate musical principles into systematic beliefs about the nature and value of a musician’s music praxis.  Every Christian must recognize that if the words of the songs we sing are truly biblical then they embody truth.  These music texts represent truth because the message of the “words” is true.  If they accurately teach Bible principles they represent what Francis Schaefer called “true truth”.   

Thought for the Day

It is not popular to discuss truth in this century because so many musicians believe that all “truth” is relative truth, and this situational truth changes often.

Study of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16—part 3

Study of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16—part 3

             Paul’s writing here connotes that the correct communication of Christ through the vehicle of music may become a means of grace to the Christian.  Our church music should become a vehicle for the word of Christ to enter our minds or hearts. I have often told my college classes that music is the handmaiden of God’s Word. St. Paul is referring to our heart in a spiritual sense when he uses the word hearts (2588).  Behm states that, "the thought that the heart is the central organ and seat of physical vitality occurs in the New Testament only in Luke 21:34 and in James 5:5."5   He goes on to explain the meaning of heart here as ". . .the religious center to which God turns, which is the root of religious life, and which determines moral conduct. . " So we can see that these songs should cause the logos to inhabit the religious center which will control our moral conduct.

            In this context we can see the importance of our songs being theologically sound so that they will correctly communicate the "word."  Colossians 3:16 warns us to use wisdom (sophia 4678) in our teaching and admonishing through song.  Along this same thought, Galatians 1:7 warns against perverting the gospel (2098) or good message of Christ.   

Thought for the Day  

It is a novel thought to many Christian musicians that the primary purpose of musicing unto God is not art but rather making the Word of God more understandable to those who attend the worship service.

Study of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16—part 2

Study of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16—part 2

             The word speaking in the Scripture above is translated from the Greek word laleo (2980).  It most often carries the meaning of speaking in the New Testament. In the musical discourse in Colossians 3:16  Laleo it is making reference to singing. It was translated preach as in Acts 8:25.  Colossians 3:16 charges us with a teaching music ministry i.e. (didasko 1321) and admonishing (noutheteo 3560) which connotes warning or reproving each other with music.

            The reason Christians are given such a solemn charge concerning singing is that in the New Testament like the Old Testament the ultimate goal of singing is the presentation of the Word of God.  As a matter of fact, we are told to "Let the word (logos 3056) of Christ (Christos 5547) dwell (enoikeo 1774) in you richly (plousios 4146) . ."  The words logos Christos mean that communication of Christ must enoikeo plousios or inhabit us copiously i.e. let your singing cause your mind to be crammed full of God.s word.  Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs should cause our minds to be inhabited by the Scripture i.e. we should be catechized by our singing. One of the reasons that I believe this so strongly is that people become what they hear and perform musically.  Nutritionists say, “You become what you eat”.  Wolf says, “You  become what you sing and play.” 

Thought for the Day

The great Bible expositor Albert Barnes believed that musicing unto God should be considered similar to praying to God.

Study of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16—part 1

Study of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16—part 1

            Outside of the music references found in the Book of Psalms, Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are probably the two most quoted musical passages in the Bible.  Since there is such a plethora of misunderstanding considering   the meaning of these verses, I believe that it will be worth your time to do a word study of these two familiar New Testament musical passages of Scripture. Since there is such a plethora of misunderstanding considering the meaning of these verses, I believe that it will be worth our time to consider a word study of these two familiar New Testament musical passages of Scripture.

            For your convenience I have included Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance  numbers for Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking (2980) to yourselves (1438) in psalms (5568) and hymns (5215) and spiritual (4152) songs (5603), singing (103) and making (5567)            melody(556) in your (5216) heart (2588) to the Lord (2962)" and Colossians 3:16  "Let the word (3056) of Christ (5547) dwell (1774) in you richly (4146) in all wisdom (4678);   teaching (1321) and admonishing (3560) one another (1438) in psalms (5568) and hymns (5215)   and spiritual (4152) songs (5603), singing (103)  with grace (5485) in your (5216) hearts (2588) to the Lord (2962)."             These two verses give a serious charge to those who sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. 

Thought for the Day

Take some time today to study the key words like psalms, hymns, spiritual songs and making melody.  Also, study the phrase singing with grace in your hearts.

Thinking Church Music Through

Thinking Church Music Through

Church musicians are now in a very heated argument about styles of church music.  No one seems to argue in favor of secular rock music, but there are an increasing number of pastors and church musicians who do not see much, if anything, wrong with religious rock music in the church.  In many places in the world today, church attendance is getting smaller, so pastors and ministers of music are trying to make church attendance attractive to people who are not Christians.  Almost everything traditional is now being reviewed to make sure that traditional acts of worship are relating to “worldly” people.  Traditional styles of church music often receive the blame for a lack of church growth.

            When a particular church is experiencing increased attendance, pastors and ministers of music naturally look at the style of worship that has been “successful.”  Often church leaders pattern public worship after “super churches” without thinking through the results of those major changes in music worship.

Thought for the Day

Christian musicians must be more concerned about being “faithful” than “successful” when it comes to which styles of music are or are not admitted to a church’s music repertoire.

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 4

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 4

            What really matters about the use or disuse of a style of music when one is worshiping a high and holy triune God is much more complicated than mere musical or aesthetic quality—although musical and aesthetic quality does matter.  What really matters is what a particular style of music communicates to the musicer and the listener and what that communication has the potential to do to a person mentally and spiritually.

             A piece of music that is not full of aesthetic meaning is not necessarily harmful to the musicer and the listener. So, whether or not the formal properties of the music are arranged in such a way to make that music aesthetically valuable is not reason enough to exclude a style of music as a whole or as a single musical composition from the life of a Christian.

Thought for the Day

 The Bible in Basic English translates 2Corinthians “7:11 For you see what care was produced in you by this very sorrow of yours before God, what clearing of yourselves, what wrath against sin, what fear, what desire, what serious purpose, what punishment. In everything you have made it clear that you are free from sin in this business.”  Although this scripture is not addressing music directly, the principle stated in this verse extends to the music and musicing of a musician who is a born again Christian.

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 3

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 3

            A Christian musician should not admit or exclude a style of music solely on the quality of its aesthetic value.  Notice that I said totally; I did not say that one should ignore a style’s aesthetic qualities that give it its value. However, the question at hand is not music’s deepest aesthetic value but rather what effect it is capable of having on the whole life of a Christian.  For instance, it has been a mistake to exclude the host of  different styles of music that exist today from the musicing of a Christian based on the belief that these styles are not music at all or that they are not aesthetically high quality music.

             The issue is not whether a type of music is “musical junk” or that it is “not music at all” or that it is “not of enough musical quality” to be aesthetically effective.  The problem with such statements that are often made is that they are simply not always accurate statements.  Although the conservative Christian musician is continually guarding the practice of musicing unto God, overstating one’s position on music aesthetics is not the answer.

Thought for the Day

When it comes to the use or disuse of many pop styles of music in public worship, the simply stated facts are much better arguments than making statements about a style of music that cannot be substantiated.

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 2

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 2

 As I have often stated, the Christian should not develop an aesthetic approach to religion, but rather a religious (biblical) approach to aesthetics.  Music aesthetics is by no means the bellwether of Christianity.  Having an aesthetic experience with music does not form any proof, nor is it any indication that the Holy Spirit has placed His anointing or approval on a musical performance or a performer.  However, aesthetics and aesthetic experiences with music are important and must be considered in our discussion of both musical paradigm and music philosophy.  Music’s beauty is an important part of its nature, and will definitely affect what that music will communicate to the musicer and the listener.

The Christian musician must be cognizant of the fact that although beauty, as it relates to music philosophy and ultimately musician unto God, is in some aspects a personal matter.  However, the Bible does consider beauty in music and in Psalm 89:15 it very clearly states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”  So, the aesthetic consideration of sound is not completely a matter of taste or personal opinion.

Thought for the Day

Since the Bible states very vividly that some people understand what the “joyful sound” is, conversely, some people evidently do not understand what it is.

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 1

Aesthetics in A Christian’s Music Paradigm—part 1

            The Christian musician must become aware of where the aesthetics of music has been placed in his or her musical paradigm.  Although we will consider many more aspects of aesthetics in the life of a Christian musician, pin pointing where aesthetics is placed in one’s musical paradigm, and ultimately in that person’s music philosophy, is essential to the establishment of what that musician considers the nature and value of music to actually be.

            It is often difficult to get a church musician to explain his or her specific beliefs about aesthetics in church music, if that musician does not consider this aspect of philosophy toe even be important.  In the business of a Christian’s music ministry, that musician must be personally convinced of the importance of aesthetic philosophy before that musician is willing to dialogue about what aspects of aesthetics are or are not congruent with a Bible based music philosophy.

Thought for the Day

Since a Christian is never autonomous, but always subject to the laws of God, every Christian musician must seek to find and do God’s will—and that includes music and musicing.